Our Instructors
Head professor Noa Moke
PROFESSOR NOA MOKE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN KAUAI, HAWAII. HE STARTED DOING JIU JITSU IN 2000 WHEN HE WAS 13 YEARS OLD. HE COMES FROM A BIG FAMILY, ONE OF TEN KIDS, SO GRAPPLING AND WRESTLING WITH HIS BROTHERS HAPPENED ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. BACK IN THE DAY THEY USED TO TRAIN IN THE KITCHEN, AT THE BEACH, OR IN THE GARAGE.
JIU JITSU WAS A REFUGE FOR NOA GROWING UP IN A DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY AND ROUGH ADOLESCENCE. IT GAVE HIM AN OUTLET AND TAUGHT HIM ABOUT DISCIPLINE, MOTIVATION, AND SELF-CONFIDENCE— TRAITS THAT KEPT HIM AFLOAT WHILE SURROUNDED BY DRUG AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION. HIS MOTIVATION IN THE GYM LED TO MOTIVATION IN LIFE. NOW HE LIVES A PROUD LIFE OF SOBRIETY, IS A HUMBLE MAN OF GOD, AND SEEKS TO GIVE BACK THE GIFT OF JIU JITSU TO OTHERS.
NOA’S FIRST INSTRUCTOR WAS BRUNO EWALD, A BLACK BELT UNDER ROYLER GRACIE, AT LONGMAN JIU JITSU. HE TRAINED THERE FOR 10 YEARS UNTIL BROWN BELT LEVEL. IN 2012 HE RECEIVED HIS BLACK BELT WITH THE BLESSING OF 6TH-DEGREE BLACK BELT NELSON MONTERO, FROM GRACIE BARRA KAUAI— TEAM POWERHOUSE. Noa is now under the guidance of Andre Galvao and the Atos association.
COMPETITION AND STUDYING THE ART OF JIU JITSU HAVE TAKEN NOA ALL OVER THE WORLD. IN 2005 HE LIVED IN BRAZIL AND TRAINED UNDER DANIEL MORAES, THE 6 TIME WORLD-CHAMPION. HIS HOME DOJOS WERE THE ORIGINAL GRACIE HUMAITA AND THE IATE CLUBE JARDIM GUANABARA. HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE AT THE LEGENDARY TIJUCA TENNIS CLUBE (WHERE THEY USED TO HOLD THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BEFORE TOURNAMENTS CAME TO THE US).
NOA HAS COMPETED IN OVER 100 MATCHES IN HIS CAREER, ALL OVER HAWAII, BRAZIL, WASHINGTON, OREGON, AND CALIFORNIA. HE’S HAD MANY WINS AND MANY LOSSES— ALL OF THEM OFFERING AN ABUNDANCE OF JIU JITSU AND LIFE LESSONS.
NOA BEGAN INSTRUCTING IN 2006. IT’S NEVER FELT LIKE A JOB, BUT RATHER A WAY OF LIFE. HE FEELS BLESSED AND CALLED TO SHARE THE ART OF JIU JITSU AND TRANSFORM LIVES. HE’S TAUGHT AT MANY SCHOOLS AND RAN HIS OWN PROGRAMS ON KAUAI.
IN 2020, NOA MOVED TO WASHINGTON TO OPEN A SCHOOL IN THE AREA TO SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, AND PASSION HE’S GAINED FROM THE JOURNEY.
“LEGEND” IS ACTUALLY NOA’S LOCAL NICKNAME ON KAUAI, GIVEN TO HIM BY HIS PROFESSOR AND MENTOR, JARED ESPINA. THE NAME PAYS HOMAGE TO THE ORIGINAL LEGENDS OF THE ART— THE JAPANESE ROOTS, THE GRACIE FAMILY, AND ALL THOSE ALONG THE WAY THAT TRANSFORMED JIU JITSU INTO A GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED MARTIAL ART.
Professor Vic
VIC’S JIU JITSU JOURNEY STARTED IN 2008 IN HONOLULU AFTER RECEIVING AN INVITE FROM A FRIEND TO TRY IT OUT. HE GOT HOOKED IMMEDIATELY AND CONTINUED TO TRAIN UNDER A RELSON GRACIE ASSOCIATION UNTIL PURPLE BELT.
IN 2015, AFTER RECEIVING HIS MASTERS IN SOCIAL WORK, HE DECIDED TO MOVE TO SAN DIEGO TO TRAIN AT ATOS HQ. VIC PARTICIPATED IN COMPETITIONS WINNING MASTER WORLDS AT BROWN BELT (2017), PAN AMS AT PURPLE AND BROWN (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019), AND NO GI WORLDS AT PURPLE (2016).
IN 2019, HE WAS AWARDED HIS BLACK BELT FROM ANDRE GALVAO.
IT CAME FULL CIRCLE IN 2020 WHEN HE RETURNED HOME TO THE PNW, “IT FEELS RIGHT BEING BACK. IF MY EXPERIENCES OR KNOWLEDGE CAN BRING VALUE TO ANYONE, IT’S AN HONOR FOR ME TO SHARE IT.”
Our coaches
ben brandon- 6am coach
Ben grew up in truckee, California skateboarding, snowboarding, and playing in the punk and hardcore music scene. He moved to Seattle after 2007 and began producing hip hop beats and rapping. From 2011-2019 he toured all over North America as an independent underground hip hop artist. During this time frame he got heavily involved in the drug and party lifestyle that coincided with the music. In 2018 when Ben had finally had enough of the dark and dangerous lifestyle he had lived and he became a born again Christian. Since then he has had complete mental, physical, and spiritual transformations. Although he had some prior mma and jiu jitsu experience he began to seriously train in 2020 under professor Noa Moke. Bens love to help people develop skills and improve their lives has led him to coaching. His favorite part of jiu jitsu is seeing people begin to feel comfortable and confident in difficult situations and through this improving their over all well being. Ben is also a 2023 IBJJF Master Worlds gold medalist.
Kerry Harris- Thursday noon coach
.Coach Kerry is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner with six years of competitive experience. He is a purple belt under Professor Noa Moke. Kerry is the 2023 IBJJF World Master silver medalist and an IBJJF Asian Open gold medalist and IBJJF Portland Open gold medalist. He is a disciplined trainer with a passion to win. He focuses his students to be leaders, technicians, to be goal oriented and to strive for physical and mental excellence.
Coach Kerry served honorably for 30 years rising through the senior warrant officer levels in the U.S. Army Public Health Command. During this time, he led global programs within the Department of Defense in public health. He is the 2008 U.S. Army Medical Department, Veterinary Corps Warrant Officer of the Year. He is a former Drill Sergeant and has the special skills Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Expert Field Medical Badge. He also lived 22 years overseas in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Kerry graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science. He is a graduate of the Warrant Officer Senior Service Education Course through the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College.
Jon Acevedo- Tuesday noon Coach
Bio coming soon!
Trevor Elkington- 6am Coach
Trevor started his martial arts journey in 2011 at forty years old, training several arts alongside Brazilian jiu-jitsu before focusing on BJJ and grappling. He was awarded through his purple belt by Brian Johnson and Bob Heinemann at Northwest Jiu-Jitsu Academy (Seattle) in the Machado Brothers lineage. After moving to the south Sound area, he was awarded his brown belt by Noa Moke, Legend Atos, in 2024. As an older practitioner, he is particularly interested in efficient techniques and safe training methods, as well as helping new students build solid foundations as they start their own jiu-jitsu journey.
Mike Andrews- 6am Wrestling for jiu jitsu Coach
Michael was born and raised in the South Sound. He began wrestling in the 5th grade. Upon graduation he immediately hopped into the coaching world of Wrestling. Over the past 20 years he has spent time coaching in the south sound area as a middle school and high school coach where he has been recognized as a League, Regional and State coach of the year. He is the Co-Founder and Head Coach of BAB Wrestling Club which services middle school, high school, college and senior level athletes. Michael lives in Tacoma with his wife Rishena and 4 kids. He started looking for another way to train and stay in shape when he began training under Professor Noa Moke and the Team at Atos Tacoma- Legend Jiu Jitsu. He is currently a high school Athletic Director and the commissioner for Boys and Girls Wrestling for their league. Michael loves seeing people of all backgrounds come together through Jiu Jitsu and the challenge it takes to continue to grow in the sport.
Chris Ganigan- Kids/Teens Coach
About Me: Coach Chris Ganigan brings the aloha spirit from Oahu, Hawaii, to the mainland. Upon relocating, he sought ways to reconnect with his kids, leading him to discover the transformative power of Jiu-Jitsu.
Qualifications: Coach Chris proudly wears his Purple Belt, earned through dedication and hard work under the guidance of Professor Josh Calvo. His recent relocation has also led him to seek wisdom from Professor Noa, enriching his understanding of the art.
Teaching Experience: With 4 years of teaching experience, Coach Chris blends his island roots with mainland hospitality, creating a welcoming environment for students of all levels. He’s skilled at adapting his teaching style to suit individual needs, ensuring every student feels valued and supported.
Teaching Philosophy: Coach Chris believes Jiu-Jitsu is more than just a martial art—it’s a journey of self-discovery and connection. He fosters a sense of ohana (family) where students can grow together, both on and off the mats.
Personal Touch: Off the mats, Coach Chris cherishes spending time with his family, embracing the outdoor lifestyle, and exploring his new community. His journey from Hawaii to Tacoma adds a unique perspective to his teaching, enriching the experience for everyone involved.
Join Us: Ready to embark on a journey of growth and camaraderie? Come roll with Coach Chris and experience the warmth of aloha combined with the thrill of Jiu-Jitsu.
Darrin fiskum- Kids coach
Darrin grew up in Melba, Idaho where he began training in kenpo and jiu jitsu at age 16 in 1999. He fell in love with martial arts and trained up to 6 hours a day, six days a week training in many different styles. in 2004, he earned his black belt in kenpo.
Enter career that resulted in a bad back injury and Fast forward 14 years, Darrin started strength training in crossfit in order to get his back stronger and able to get back into jiu jitsu.
After two years of strength and conditioning, just as he was looking to join a jiu jitsu school, Professor Noa Moke happened to move into the area. The rest is history